LAUREN's MANSION

CELINE's POV

After what felt like forever... the taxi finally pulled up in front of a blue-gray mansion at exactly five in the morning, causing a sigh of relief to escape my mouth. After paying the taxi driver, I opened the door and stepped out.

I wrapped myself as tightly as I could in my thick, old brown coat, and did my best to cover up and I softly grumbled as I made my way slowly towards the Lauren Mansion, which was situated in the urban area of New York. It was obvious from the outside that it possessed an incredible amount of power and wealth.

The heavily armed security officers waved me through the enormous electronic iron gates that were etched in the center with a golden letter L that was far bigger than I was.

In front of the mansion was a roundabout, with a gigantic fountain in the center, but was now coated with snow. A statue of a roaring tiger, ready to attack, was in the middle of the fountain.

It has always been my dream to live in a house with a beautiful landscape like this… with towering trees, shrubs, bushes, and a garden that was so vibrant if not for the snow covering them. The bed of green Bermuda grass had been mowed to absolute perfection but it had turned white. The atmosphere was fragrant with the aroma of pine needles and wood smoke. So wintery...

The enormous structure was built out of a single piece of solid rectangular concrete, and it was placed in the exact center of the immense estate. In the back… there was a river, and on both of the property's sides, there were trees, a pool, and a pond.

My dad and my sister would never have had the opportunity to live such a privileged life if it weren't for the fact that he married a wealthy woman after his divorce with my mother.

I was trembling so badly that I couldn't stop as I raised my quivering fist to knock on the enormous double wooden door.

After waiting for five minutes with no one opening the door, I began to repeatedly ring the doorbell. I let out a breath of relief when I heard footsteps coming from the direction of the door on the other side of the room. A servant in her mid-thirties eventually opened the door for me with a broad smile plastered on her lips.

"Miss, you're back—" the smile on her face halted as she peered into my eyes, undoubtedly wondering why the hue had changed. Earlier in the taxi, I removed the contact lenses I was wearing because I was feeling uncomfortable wearing them. But the fake blonde hair on my head remained as I covered it with the cap and the hood of my coat. Her gaze moved from my eyes to the old coat that I was wearing. "Who are you?"

"I’m here for dad--- for Mr. Lauren..." I responded with chattering teeth, red cheeks, and cold visible breaths.

She showed a disapproving expression by knitting her brows together and clicking her tongue. "He's still asleep. You’re going to have to hold off till he wakes up." After she finished speaking, she slammed the door on my face, causing me to startle and take a step backwards.

I heaved a sigh as I adjusted the hood of my coat and made my way to the fountain, where I sat down and waited. It's only five in the morning. I wondered what time my father would wake up. Till how many hours would I wait for him in the middle of this snowy place? What time will I get my money?

I was already starting to feel numb, and the only thing that could be heard over the howling wind was my whimpers. I rubbed my hands together in a vain attempt to generate even the slightest amount of body heat.

The entrance to the mansion opened once more after what seemed like two eons had passed, revealing the same expressionless face of the servant. "You may come in now…" she called out, and I dashed inside, still shivering from the cold. However, I came to an abrupt halt when I spotted my father sitting on the leather couch with a newspaper in his hands.

When he noticed that I was entering the house, he took his time looking at me through the newspaper while I stood at the back of the door, unmoved but lips trembling and body shivering.

The sophisticated woman sitting next to him immediately questioned me in an urgent manner, "Is everything successfully done and over with?"

"Yes…" I responded really quickly. I didn’t want to be here. I just wanted my money and then I'd leave right away.

"Did Sebastian Anderson catch her?" she asked again.

"No…" I let out a sigh as I met her intense gaze. "He was sound asleep when I left the room..."

"Thank goodness..." she squealed as she pressed her palms to her chest in a joyful expression. She was stunningly beautiful in every sense of the word, and her flawless face was always brightened up by a broad smile.

My father set the newspaper down on the coffee table and a smile appeared on his lips as well. "Sebastian will finally marry our Brylee…"

"I know, right!" she chuckled. "Within a short period of time, our family will achieve widespread renown, and we will undoubtedly take pleasure in the abundant wealth and prestigious position of the Anderson family. In the long run, Brylee will have better opportunities for development in the future!"

"Of course!" While my father ran his fingers over his full beard and entertained various thoughts in his head, he had a sly grin on his face. "It's just a matter of time before we get our hands on the Anderson family! Soon, the Anderson and Lauren families will merge into a single entity and become the most influential family in the whole wide world!"

And they both burst out in a loud laugh together.